Appiah's move to bring back Rajevac is 'backward' - Mark Gleeson

Renowned football commentator Mark Gleeson has described Kwesi Appiah’s move to rope in Milovan Rajevac as a member of his backroom staff for the 2014 World Cup as ‘backward’ which has far-reaching consequences for coaches in Africa.

Appiah has contacted the Serbian tactician who led the Black Stars to a quarter final finish at the last World Cup in South Africa over a role in his backroom staff for June’s tournament in Brazil.

Some influential members of the Ghana FA appear to be hugely in favour of the coach’s move to return his former boss to the Black Stars set up. Others are however expressed fury at Appiah’s latest move meant to improve his technical team for the World Cup.

Critics are quick to point the way the 60-year-old left the Ghana job in 2010 for a more lucrative job in Saudi Arabia and say he cannot be trusted.

Renowned South African journalist Mark Gleeson has waded into the debate by saying the Ghana coach’s move has the potential of killing the spirit of African coaches.

“I think this is a backward move by the Ghana coach. It sends the wrong signal about the quality of African coaches,” he said on SuperSport’s Soccer Africa show.

“Having presided over perhaps Ghana’s best campaign in the qualifiers and now turn around and bring in a foreign coach is a bad move.

“You can keep him [Rajevac] discretely in the stands or on the phone but not come out and say you want him as part of your delegation.”

Appiah has contacted three others with the possibility of making up his backroom staff for Ghana’s third successive World Cup appearance in Brazil.

The Black Stars are drawn in Group G where they will be facing Germany, USA and Portugal.